Articles on: Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)

Learn About Post-Purchase Estimated Delivery Dates (EDDs)

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Overview


Estimated delivery dates (EDDs) are critical in eCommerce businesses as they provide customers with an expectation of when they can expect to receive their orders. It helps customers plan and manage their schedules accordingly and ensures they are available to receive their packages.


What you’ll learn


In this article, we’ll discuss:



Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)


EDD is the date customers see on their email and branded tracking page, sourced from the list of priorities (Source priority) described here.

There are certain circumstances wherein the EDD will not be shown to end customers if it is sourced from AI EDD or custom EDD:


  • There are exceptions or failed delivery attempts with the parcel, making the EDD inaccurate since the delivery couldn’t be made on the estimated date
  • The parcel is out for delivery or available for pickup, making the EDD not useful to the customer.


Original Estimated Delivery Date (EDD)


We will record the Original EDD at admin, representing the first EDD customers see on their email and branding tracking page.


The Original Estimated Delivery Date depends on which EDD comes and is recorded first, with all the available sources described here.


If there are no changes to the EDD, we won't show the Original EDD at admin.


AfterShip displays both the Original EDD and EDD on the admin dashboard. However, it only displays the EDD (EDD source which is high on the list of priorities irrespective of from where it came first) on the email and BTP.


Sources of EDDs


There are different sources of EDDs available, and hence to your customers the most accurate EDD, AfterShip takes these into account based on the priority you have configured in your post-purchase EDD settings.


  1. Carrier's estimated delivery date
  2. AfterShip AI-predicted estimated delivery date
  3. Promised delivery date (Imported with shipments)
  4. Custom estimated delivery date


Let’s discuss all the sources of EDDs in detail.


EDD sources


Carrier estimated delivery date


The Carrier Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) is provided by the carrier through AfterShip's integration with their tracking services. It represents the carrier's best estimate of when your shipment will be delivered.


  • Carrier EDDs are available at any stage of the tracking process and may be updated or adjusted as necessary.
  • The accuracy of the EDD improves as the shipment progresses toward its destination.


For more guidance on enabling Carrier Estimated Delivery Dates, please refer to this guide.


AfterShip AI-predicted estimated delivery date (AEDD)


AfterShip utilizes AI and proprietary tracking data to generate the AfterShip AI-Predicted Estimated Delivery Date (AEDD). AEDD is designed to engage with your customers proactively, offering delivery estimates with industry-level accuracy.


The AEDD is provided once the carrier has picked up the parcel. It dynamically updates its predictions by analyzing crucial logistic events throughout the tracking journey. For instructions on enabling AEDD, please consult the Set up AEDD help guide.


Promised delivery date


The Promised Delivery Date is a key field that provides your customers with transparency from the moment of purchase to delivery. This field can be populated in two ways:


  1. Automatically by AfterShip


This feature is currently available upon request. Please contact us if you’re interested in enabling it.


For customers using the AfterShip Checkout EDD Shopify widget, AfterShip populates the order_promised_delivery_date field with the estimated delivery date shown at checkout. This automatic population happens only once, upon shipment creation. If you update the value for this field via API, AfterShip will respect your existing value and will not overwrite it. This value can be a single date or a date range. This allows you to monitor on-time performance in the Analytics dashboard and view specific values for each tracking number in the Shipments section.



  1. Manually by merchants


You can still manually pass a date to AfterShip Tracking via the Tracking API. This is used when you have your own specific delivery estimates for shipments.


Custom estimated delivery date


The Custom Estimated Delivery Date is a date that is calculated based on certain pre-defined rules and can be set up within AfterShip Tracking’s admin dashboard. It's particularly useful when merchants already have a mechanism in place to calculate estimated delivery dates based on shipping type, carrier, and destination.


To display Custom EDD for your customers' orders, you can follow the instructions outlined in the Set up custom EDD help guide.


Set up post-purchase EDD


Post-purchase EDD portal


  1. Go to Estimated delivery dates> Post-purchase EDD in the AfterShip Tracking admin
  2. Watch a short video to better understand How can AfterShip EDDs actually help you, your brand, and your customers


1. Manage post-purchase EDD source priority


Set EDD source priority


Your Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) is retrieved according to your configured EDD source priority. If the EDD value from a higher-priority source is empty or unavailable, the system will automatically consider the next priority EDD source value as the final EDD.


You can adjust the priority by dragging the sources up and down on the list (listed from high to low priority).


A custom EDD can always be calculated, meaning it will never be empty or unavailable So any sources with lower priority than custom EDD will never be utilized.


2. AfterShip EDD sources


  1. AI Predictive EDD: Provide your customers with accurate EDDs powered by our AI engine. Click Manage to set up AI-predictive EDD settings. For instructions on enabling AEDD, please consult the Set up AEDD help guide.


  1. Custom EDD: Manually set the EDD based on the transit times for different regions and carriers. Click Manage to set up custom EDD settings. For instructions on enabling custom EDD, please consult the Set up custom EDD help guide for setup assistance.


  1. Carrier EDD: The Carrier EDD provided to your customers is sourced directly from the carrier through AfterShip's integration with their carrier tracking services. Click Manage to configure Carrier EDD settings. For instructions on enabling carrier-based EDD, please refer to this guide


3. Handling Missed Post-Purchase EDDs



In cases where the Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) value has passed (before the current date), you can manage this situation by setting up a processing rule. There are two options available:


  1. Keep Missed Value: You can opt to keep the missed EDD value unchanged.
  2. Add Extra Business Days: Alternatively, you can establish a rule to add extra business days to adjust the EDD value.


Business days will be calculated based on the default carrier business days you've configured in the Carrier business days settings.


Not all carriers provide EDD. Therefore, it's better to enable both AI EDD and Custom EDD


Your customers will be able to check the EDD via:


  1. Order tracking page



  1. Email notification



FAQs


1. How would I know which EDD my customers will see?


To understand which Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) your customers will see, follow these steps:


  1. Navigate to your AfterShip's Shipments section and select a shipment to view its details.
  2. Scroll down to the Promised delivery date section under Order details. Here, you'll find both the estimated delivery date and the original estimated delivery date. Each is labeled to indicate which EDD your customers will see, such as Provided by carrier or Based on custom settings.



  1. To explore additional EDD sources, click View EDD sources. This provides insight into how the estimated delivery date was calculated for a specific shipment and the applied EDD source priority.


View EDD sources through shipment details panel


2. When will my Estimated Delivery Date (EDD) be available?


The availability of your EDD depends on the source, and each has its own display logic.


  1. EDD sources will not appear once the parcel is delivered.
  2. Custom EDD and Promised delivery date: These will be displayed during the in-transit, info-received, and pending_001 statuses, as they reflect the typical delivery schedule.
  3. AI-based EDD: This will be shown during in-transit and exception statuses, as our model primarily focuses on predicting delivery times in these situations.


Key takeaways


  • EDD (Estimated Delivery Date) gives customers a clear view of when to expect their delivery, improving transparency and satisfaction.
  • Original EDD captures the first delivery estimate shown to the customer and is retained for tracking performance.
  • EDD sources are prioritized based on the order in which you have configured the EDD sources, ensuring the most accurate delivery estimate is shown.
  • Carrier EDD is dynamically updated by the shipping carrier and becomes more accurate as the shipment progresses.
  • AfterShip AI-predicted EDD (AEDD) uses real-time data and logistics events to deliver highly accurate delivery predictions.
  • Promised delivery date can be automatically populated via AfterShip Checkout widget or manually via Tracking API.
  • Custom EDD allows merchants to define delivery dates using rules based on region, carrier, and shipping method.
  • Post-purchase EDD settings let you prioritize EDD sources and manage how dates are shown across tracking experiences.
  • Missed EDDs can be automatically adjusted by adding business days or you can left them unchanged using processing rules.
  • Customers can view EDDs on both the tracking page and email notifications throughout the shipping journey.
  • EDD visibility depends on shipment status and EDD source, with certain types shown only during specific tracking events.


If you encounter any difficulties navigating this feature, don't hesitate to reach out to our support team for assistance.

Updated on: 26/08/2025